As if you may (or may not) know by now, the social media buzzword of this past Sunday’s Emmy live tweet was #BlackGirlMagic and if anybody got refused to be snubbed from the inclusion and though it best to combat the hashtag her own way to ensure so, it was HBO’s Girls actress Lena Dunham.
Known for (directly) publicly expressing her disdain and disagreement to whomever concerned her, Dunham refused to allow the circulating hashtag get life without giving life white girl magic—less the actual hashtag.
How To Get Away With Murder actress Viola Davis accepted the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and as history would (have to) record it, upon her name being called, although the Emmy Awards’ announcer read: “This is the first Emmy win for Viola Davis, who is a graduate of Julliard,” [as well however], Viola was the first African American woman to have ever won “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” (in Emmy academy history).
That first and celebration was followed by a proud, united front of fans, and her acting peers i.e., Regina King (who won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series), Taraji P. Henson (who was nominated in the same category as the one Davis won–and, ironically, presented to Regina King).
Upon taking to the stage of accept her award (of her peers who celebrated with her), Davis mentioned other African American actresses: Megan Goode, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Halle Berry, Nicole Behari in thanks for having taken she and others to follow “over that line.”
(2:01 – 2:19)
For the record: “over that line” is symbolic of the divide between opportunity and inopportunity.
“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” –Viola Davis
…one in which Davis used to quote abolitionist, humanitarian and Underground Railroad safehouse connoisseur Harriet Tubman as saying:
[quote]:
In my mind I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line. But I can’t seem to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.
[end quote]
It’s unfortunate that as a writer and producer herself, Lena Dunham took a (knee-jerk?) response to Viola’s speech and (along with every lilly-white actress she could muster up) posted a pic of Barbara Streisand (holding an Emmy) to her social media account and captioned it:
“This pic is dedicated to the radical women I worship from up close and afar who were all over tonight’s Emmys. @amyschumer @jillsoloway @carrie_rachel @zoetrope91 @hereisgina Jane Anderson, Amy P, Gabs H, her majesty Fran McD and so many more you know who you are and your magic is lifting us higher!”
But she wasn’t the only one.
In THIS particular write up, I’m not gonna
